Chair



May 21-, 1946. R. CRAl VIER EI'AL' 2,400,630

CHAIR Filed Jan, 2a, 1945 Roy A. CRAiMER Roy A CRAMER JR.

HAROLD- CRAMER.

Patented'May 21, 1946 CHAIR Roy A. Cramer, Roy A. Cramer, Jr., andHarold W. Cramer, Kansas City, Mo.

Application January 26, 1943, Serial No. 4.735%

4 Claims.

tical position.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be madeapparent by the following description and the annexed drawing which, itwill be understood, are only illustrative of the invention and impose nolimitations thereon not imposed by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, in which the same reference letter or numeralrefers to like .parts throughout,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a chair having a back formed in accordance withthis invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the back-retaining device shown in Fig.l, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. l, and showing a modifiedform of the invention.

In the drawing there is illustrated a chair formed in accordance withthe invention and comprising legs 2, a vertical standard 4, a generallyhorizontal seat 6 and a back which, in the disclosed embodiments, isformed of a metal strip having a lower horizontal portion 8 which isattached to the under surface of the seat 6 and a part I which extendsvertically upwardly at the rear of the seat 6 and supports a back-restI2 at the upper end thereof. The horizontal part 8 of the back ispreferably slidably mounted on the seat 6 whereby it may be adjustedforwardly to position A and rearwardly to position B, as shown in Fig.1, a clamping device I4 being provided for holding the back in adjustedposition.

Means are provided by the invention for permitting the back to be movedto \a lowered position as shown at C in Fig. 1. In accordance with theinvention the back is formed of an upper part 20 and a lower part 22which are connected by a horizontal hinge 24 whereby the upper part maybe moved about the hinge to a lowered position over the seat 6 as shownat C.

Means are alsoprovided by the invention for normally and usuallysupporting the upper part 20 of the back in vertical, upwardly-extendingposition. Such means comprise an elongated device 26 which is U-shapedin cross-section and the inner face of the bottom wall 28 of which isrigidly attached to the rear face of. the lower part 22 of the back insuch a manner that the device encloses the part 22 and the side walls 38thereof extend forwardly of the part 22. The device 26 extendsvertically upward above the hinge or pivot 25 whereby it also receivesthe upper part 20 of the back when the same is in its verticalpositionA. In order to releasably but firmly hold the part 26 within themember 26 a U-shaped clamp device having a, bottom wall 34 and resilientside walls 36 is positioned within such member adjacent the upper endthereof, the width of the clamp device being'such that the side wallsthereof will be sprung apart by movement of the part 20 between themwhen the part 28 is moved to or from its vertically-upward position A,In order to accommodate the side walls 36 apertures 38 are formed in theside walls 38 of the device 25, within which apertures the resilientside walls 36 of the clamp device are received, as shown in Figs. 1 and2.

It will be apparent that the upper part 28 of the back may be moved to avertical position A or to a lowered position 0, and that it will bereleasably held in vertical position by engagement of its side edgesbetween the resilient side walls 36 of the clamp device. It will also beseen that the channel-shaped device 26 provides a means for supportingthe clamp 35, in such a position above the hinge 24 that it will engagethe upper part of the back.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing there is illustrated a modified but preferredform of the invention in which the lower part 22 of the back isprovided, at and adjacent its upper end, with preferably integral orwelded flanges or walls 40 which extend forwardly therefrom and supporta pin 24 about which the lower end of the upper part 20 of the back ishinged. Above the hinge connection and in a position to engage the sideedges of the part 20 when the same is moved to its vertical position Abetween the walls 40, the walls 40 are oppositely indented inwardly, at42, providing a narrowed part which frictionally end resiliently engagesthe side edges of the part 28 to releasably hold the same in verticalposition.

Chairs formed in accordance with this invention find a particular fieldof usefulness in aircraft, being used there principally for bombardiers,who must at times operate guns. The invention provides a simple andeffective way of removing the back of the chair from the path of gunoperation, as is required, while still permitting it to be used' asachair at any time. Another use will be to permit a chair to be entirelypositioned beneath a desk or table when it is desirable that it be outofthe way.

While We have described and illustrated cer tain embodiments of ourinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that furtherembodiments may be discovered or modifications made without departing inany way from the spirit or scope of the invention, for the limits ofwhich reference must be had to the appended,

claims.

a What is claimed is:

ing a metal strip having a first part connected to the seat and a secondpart extending vertically upward at the rear of the seat, said secondpart secured to the upper end portion of the lower part seat, both saidparts being formed of relatively thin'metal strips, said second partcomprising an upper part and a lower part, means for hingedly connectingsaid upper and lower parts together whereby the upper part may be movedforwardly and downwardly to a lowered position substan-J tially parallelwith said seat or to an upper position in substantial alignment with thelower part i so as 'to be in back-supporting position, said meanscomprising a channel-shaped clamp device having a rear wall ofsubstantial length rigidly and flanges formed integrally with said walland 1. A chair comprising a seat, a back comprisextending forwardly ofsaid wall and said lower part, a hinge pin supported by said flangesforv wardly ofsaid'lower part and a substantial discomprising an upperpart and a lower part,- flanges rigidly secured to the sides of thelower part at the upper end thereof and extending forwardly I V of thelatter, a hinge pin supported by said flanges,

m'eans'for hingedly connecting the lower end of said upper part to saidpin whereby the upper part may be moved to a lowered position or to anupper position to contact and be supported by the upper end of the lowerpart, and means asso-' ciated with said flanges to releasably hold saidupper partin its upper position. 1 V i 2. A chair comprising a seat,supporting means for the seat, a back comprising a metal strip hav ing afirst part connected to the seat and a second part extendingsubstantially vertically up! ward at therear of the seat, said secondpart.

tion substantially aligned with said lower part,

' a substantialjportion' -Qf the lower end of the upper part contacting:and being supported by,

the upper endof the lower part when in said upper position, andresilient portions associated with the flanges and extending inwardly ofthe upper ends thereof for releasably maintaining the upper part in itsupper position. 7

3; A chair comprising a seat, supporting means for the seat, abackcomprising a' firs t part connected with the seat and a second partextending substantially vertically upward at the 'rear eithe herto'releasably hold tance below the upper edges of the flanges, the 7lower end portion of the upper part when in its upper positioncontacting the upper end portion of the lower part throughout asubstantial portion of its length and said last-named portion having apart extending forwardly'and being, hingedly connected with said pin,and means as-' sociated with the upper portions of said flanges toengage said upper-part when in its upperr posi tionto releasably hold itin such position. 1 g;

4. A chair comprising a seat; supporting means for the seat, a backcomprising a lower member andan upper member, said lower member being l-shap edand having a first part connected with said seat and a secondpart extendingupwardly means for 'hingedlyf connecting said jmembers 1together whereby the upper member may he I ,moved' to a lowered positionsubstantially parallel with the seat'or to an upper position insubstan-' tial alignment withzithe second part of the loweri member soasto'be in back-supporting position;-

said means including spaced-apart flanges rigidly secured to the upper'end'portion of said second. part and extending forwardly thereof, ahinge pinsupportedby said flangesa substantial dis- I tance below theupper edges, thereof andforwardly of said second part, the uppermemberextending downwardly between said flanges and having its lowerendportion hingedly connected with said pin-whereby a substantial portionofsaid lower end portion contacts and issupp'orted bysaid upper end.portion of the lower member when the upper'in'ember is moved to itsupper position, and means associated with the upper portions of saidflanges to engage the upper mem it in its upper position.

R.'A. CRAMER.g 7 HAROLD w. C R-LAMERZFF ;R ,O-Y A. QRAMER; J

